Nuclear Fusion: JET Project (Hansard, 28 November 1989)

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, during the past year the Joint European Torus project has made very good progress. A further lengthy period of development will, however, be needed to achieve an actual sustained net output of power as well as all the engineering development needed for a viable commercial fusion power reactor.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that encouraging Answer. Although it is still many years away from practical use, may not fusion be the source of energy needed by the world in future when other sources are depleted or have become too dangerous to the atmosphere, in particular by adding to the greenhouse effect?

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, my noble friend is correct that work on fusion around the world is still only at the stage of establishing whether the process is scientifically feasible. Studies suggest that a successful fusion reactor could have environmental and safety advantages, but fusion cannot be available before the middle of the next century. If anything is to be done over the next 10 or 20 years we shall need to use the technologies that are now available.

§ The Earl of Lauderdale
My Lords, will my noble friend say whether the Government are now prepared to review their disastrous decision to cut back on funding for fusion research in view of their commitment to retaining the nuclear option as a strategic option for the future?

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, the Government judge that there is not a need to accelerate the pace of fusion research. They need to assess very carefully all the results from the JET programme and other experiments and the likely timescale for which fusion power may be needed.

§ Lord Williams of Elvel
My Lords, is it the case that the JET ruling body, the council, has approved an extension of the project for another four years and that the proposal is now being submitted by the Commission to the Council of Ministers for discussion in mid-December? Will the British Government support that proposal? Will they also 304 undertake to continue the 10 per cent. of the JET funding that they carry as the host organisation?

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, I understand that the JET council has agreed to seek a further extension of the life of the joint undertaking from 1992 to 1996. It is too early to say how the proposal is likely to be viewed by this Government or by other member states. The Commission must first complete a review of the Community fusion programme. Part of the work of this review will be undertaken by a senior external panel of experts and the United Kingdom will play a full part in the subsequent discussions.

§ Lord Williams of Elvel
My Lords, I wonder whether I may press the noble Viscount a little further. Am I wrong in thinking that this will be submitted to the Council of Ministers in mid-December? That is not very far away. Will the Minister very kindly answer my question as to whether the United Kingdom Government will continue their 10 per cent. share of the funding of the organisation?

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, I shall find out about the mid-December date and write to the noble Lord. In the meantime I can say that the Government are committed to their £8.6 million funding this year and their participation as a host nation. They are also committed to their contribution towards the European funding of the JET programme and see no reason to cut down on it.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, when the Government consider an extension beyond the original 12 years will they bear in mind the long-term nature of the project and also the importance of building on the scientific knowledge that has already been gained?

§ Viscount Ullswater
Yes, my Lords, I think that my noble friend is entirely correct. It is such a long-term project that it needs careful assessment at each stage. We should certainly not be prepared to go to the next stage without fully assessing the results of JET so far.

§ Lord Callaghan of Cardiff
My Lords, I thank the Minister for his last reply. However, will he look into the history of the subject and recognise that we fought very hard for Britain to secure this project? We did so on the basis that it was a long-term project and we were willing to provide certain facilities because of the advantages that it would bring. Without putting too fine a point on it, it would be rather a breach of faith if, having fought hard for it and having secured it, we were in any way—and the Minister has not suggested this—to back away from the undertakings that we gave.

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, the noble Lord is quite right. The original programme was designed to run for 12 years. During the course of that it was discovered that the achievements that were known to be possible were not coming through within that period. Therefore, the extensions to which the noble 305 Lord refers and to which the noble Lord, Lord Williams of Elvel, also referred will be considered and will come before the Council of Ministers for that purpose.

§ The Earl of Lauderdale
My Lords, will my noble friend assure us that Britain intends to continue to play a full part in this project, at least until its feasibility has been proved or disproved?

§ Viscount Ullswater
My Lords, I am happy to confirm that the Government will play a full part in any negotiations.